Early functional results using the nitibond prosthesis in stapes surgery

Conclusion:The NiTiBONDVRprosthesis allows early results to be obtained similar to those with amanually crimped prosthesis fitted by experienced surgeons, thus reducing the learning curve in thiscritical step of the procedure.Objective:To analyze the 1-month results using the nitinol NiTiBONDVRprosthesis in primaryotosclerosis surgery and to compare the results with those obtained with fully fluoroplastic or fullytitanium pistons.Materials and methods:Fifty consecutive cases operated on with the NiTiBONDVRprosthesis (nitinolgroup) were compared with 50 cases operated on with a fully fluoroplastic piston (fluoroplastic group),and with 131 cases operated on with a fully titanium piston (first titanium group), and also with50 cases operated on with the same titanium piston just before using the NiTiBONDVRpiston (last titan-ium group). Pure-tone and speech audiometry was performed 1 month after surgery for the nitinolgroup. Comparison was made between the early hearing results of the four groups.Results:The mean air–bone gap closure for the nitinol group was 16± 1.0dB (mean ± SEM,n¼50); anair–bone gap of<15 dB and<10 dB was obtained in 100% and 84% of cases, respectively. These hear-ing results were similar to the last titanium group and significantly better than those observed in thefluoroplastic and first titanium groups.